Our Collections
Vegetable Ivory Balsa Wood Sculpture Ceramic Building & Church Ceramic Figurine Unusual Collection
 Vegetable Ivory
The Tagua Nut is from a palm-like tree that grows to a height of twenty to thirty feet. Chemically they are pure cellulose. When the nuts fall from the tree, they are gathered and dried for several weeks. Once they are dried, Artisans work to smooth and polish the surface so that the nut finally resembles Ivory; hence the nick name “Vegetable Ivory.” All of the items we offer are hand made out of Tagua by Artisans in Ecuador.
Tagua is hand carved and polished into miniature animals and figurines with the look and feel of ivory. The average Tagua nut measures between 1 and 2 inches and in a single year one tree can produce up to 20 pounds of nuts.
Tagua is from a palm-like tree which grows to a height of 20 to 30 feet in several tropical regions of South America. Before the nut matures it has a milky white liquid in the center. Ripe nuts fall to the ground and are then gathered and dried from eight to twelve weeks.
The Tagua nut is close grain and very hard. The cellular structure and grain is similar to that of elephant ivory, but is more dense and resilient. It resembles the finest ivory in texture and color and slightly softer than mammal ivory. Its' similarity to elephant ivory has been known by craftsmen for years and is frequently passed as elephant ivory. It is so much like mammal ivory that pieces carved from it are sold at the same price as elephant ivory.
For over two hundred years Tagua has been used by ivory carvers in the making of dice, dominoes and chess pieces. Other uses include cane and umbrella handles, mah-jongg tiles, sewing needle cases, religious figurines, and fine art. In the late 1800’s through WWII, this ivory nut was used to make some of the finest buttons in the clothing industry.
Tagua offers a welcome, moral alternative to ivory trading. Vegetable ivory is readily available; it is a harvestable, renewable resource. It also offers third would countries a way to exploit their natural resources, and their local talent.
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  Balsa Sculpture
Balsa trees grow naturally in the humid rain forests of South America. The small country of Ecuador on the west coast is the primary source of high grade balsa for the entire world.
The artisan cooperative we buy from has its own plantation on Ecuador’s west coast.
Balsa needs a warm climate with plenty of rainfall and good drainage.
Ecuador has the ideal geography and climate for growing these trees.
The scientific name for Balsa wood is Ochroma Lagopus. The word balsa itself is Spanish for Raft, in reference to its excellent flotation qualities.
Balsa wood is light in weight and easy to carve, with a great deal of durability and strength. The balsa carvings are decorated figures made with passion and pride by our skillful artisans. These figures are carved by hand in exotic designs and colors taken from the flora and the fauna of the Amazon rainforest and the Galapagos Islands – birds, fish, tortoises, and more.
Our carvers start with the fallen tree, the wood is then cut into several basic blocks. With their skilled eye, generally inherited from the parents, our artisans begin carving each figure. It takes about three hours to make one carving. After the figure goes through a process of dying and sanding, imaginative and skillful painters add wonderful bright colors to the piece which takes another four to six hours. There is no mass production which makes each piece unique.
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 Wood Sculpture
 Luis Potosi hand sculptures most of his pieces out of cedar or walnut wood. Most pieces are signed and dated by him. Luis has been sculpturing wood for over 50 years and his work can be seen in Galleries around the world. Each is dated and signed by him. Potosi is a born artist, since he was a child he modeled in clay, and later sculptured in stone and marble. When he found his authentic element, wood, he achieved full identification as a carver.
As a young man he spent much of his time touring foreign countries to showcase his work, and now at the age of 69 Luis no longer travels, but continues to sculpt wood in his shop with passion. We feel very fortunate to offer you some of Luis Potosi’s work.
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 Ceramics - Buildings and Churches
Manuel Cotacachi, from the small village of Cjordeleg in the highlands of Ecuador, has been handcrafting these ceramic buildings for twenty years. These figures capture the characters and buildings of Ecuador, while their tone is true to the native colors. Manuel himself is Quechua, the largest indigenous tribe in Ecuador. Unfortunately, due to increasing economic instability in the nation, Manuel can no longer support himself with his art, and at fifty years of age has been forced to immigrate to Europe. The selection we offer is the last of Manuel Cotacachi’s work done in his native country.
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 Ceramics - Figurines
 Lenin Vinueza is the designer. Born in Otavalo, Ecuador, he is a 35 year old vegetarian. He has been making ceramics since 1992. He has exhibited his work in different popular art galleries in Ecuador and abroad, namely in Spain. His designs are based on different themes with emphasis on Ecuadorian Folklore. The basic material is clay. The process of making one piece may take several weeks. All the materials used are natural and free of toxins. Five people who have been trained by the designer help him to make the pieces at the workshop. Additionally, some people take the pieces home to paint them and finish them.
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 The Unusual Collection
As we find new items that are unique in themselves we will show them here. We are always looking for new and different items to show you.
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